[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 69 (Friday, April 27, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E568-E569]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    FAA REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2018

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                  HON. HENRY C. ``HANK'' JOHNSON, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 26, 2018

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4) to 
     reauthorize programs of the Federal Aviation Administration, 
     and for other purposes:

  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 4, the 
FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. This bill would shore up long-term 
funding for critical FAA programs and authorize additional disaster 
program funding for areas like Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, 
which are still struggling to bounce back after the 2017 hurricane 
season.
  I am proud to be a cosponsor of a recently adopted amendment, which 
will help ensure the safety of the national airspace by prohibiting 
individuals from operating unmanned aircraft systems that are equipped 
or armed with a dangerous weapon.

[[Page E569]]

  In July of 2015, lawmakers and the public began to express concerns 
over the weaponization of drone technology after a college student 
built a drone capable of firing live armnunition from a mounted .45 
caliber semi-automatic handgun. More recently, at least one state 
legislature has proposed legislation to allow the use of weaponized 
drones by local and national law enforcement, which is something that 
concerns me greatly.
  This amendment addresses these concerns by explicitly prohibiting the 
operation of a weaponized drone in the national airspace and by 
imposing a penalty of up to $25,000 for each violation.
  I am pleased to have worked with Rep. Burgess on this common-sense, 
bi-partisan amendment and applaud my colleagues for adopting. I urge 
all Members to support the underlying bill.

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